Cessnock-Kurri Greens slam Cessnock Council's support for Kurri Kurri gas-fired power plant

Cessnock-Kurri Greens spokesperson Janet Murray accused the council of being "behind the times" after it unanimously voted in support of the gas plant at its October 21 meeting.

The council will write to various state and federal parliamentarians, calling for their support for the gas plant, which the Federal Government has proposed to build if the energy sector doesn't come up with a plan by April next year to replace the capacity lost from the closure of Liddell power station in 2023.

Ms Murray, a former BHP blast furnace engineer, said October has been a significant month for renewable energy in Australia.

"On October 11, South Australia generated 100 percent of its energy needs from solar power for the first time. In the same week it also generated 100 percent of its power needs from wind power," she said.

"On October 13, the International Energy Agency said that solar energy is now the cheapest energy in history.

"Then on October 19, Ausgrid announced it would be trialing community batteries in Northern Beaches, Canterbury-Bankstown and Lake Macquarie Council areas.

"Community batteries soak up excess rooftop solar generated by residents and lets them use the energy later in the evening when their solar panels are no longer generating."

Also this month, Japan and South Korea - two of Australia's key coal export markets - have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 (following China's pledge in September to reach this target by 2060).

Ms Murray said it was "ironic" that, in the face of this change towards renewables, council voted unanimously to support a gas-fired power station.

Local jobs and power supply were among the councillors' reasons for voting in support of the proposal.

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Ms Murray said she would have at least liked council to ask for a cost-benefit analysis of the project before supporting it.

"The Greens are calling on Cessnock Council to stop backing the wrong horse and instead promote clean energy and clean jobs for the people of Cessnock," Ms Murray said.

"We need to renew Cessnock - and to do that we need to attract industries which have a future.

"All the signs are that neither coal nor gas have a long-term future in electricity supply anywhere in the world."

Meanwhile, a new survey has found a gas-led economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is not what the majority of Australians want.

The 2020 Climate of the Nation report, released on Wednesday, found that two in three Australians would prefer the government choose renewables as the pathway out of recession.

Almost 2000 Australians took part in the annual survey, which has tracked the public's attitude towards climate change for more than a decade.

The report also found only 12 per cent of Australians sided with the federal government, saying they support Australia's economic recovery being primarily powered by investment in gas; while 83 per cent of respondents also said they wanted coal-fired power stations to be phased out.

- with Tiffanie Turnbull, AAP